Printers often face issues like going offline. You might see a “Printer Offline” message appear unexpectedly. This usually happens when the printer fails to communicate with the connected computer. As a result, it may display an offline error message on the screen or turn off the WiFi LED lights on the printer. When this error occurs, the Brother printer stops printing. This blog will teach you the 5 best fixes to resolve the offline error and get back to printing.
All the methods I’m going to share are my top preferences when dealing with printer issues. I have helped my college batchmates troubleshoot their printers, and as a Brother printer user, I will share what I find works best.
Your Brother printer may show an offline error if it's not properly connected to the power source. Hence, check if your printer’s power cable is well connected to the power socket and is turned on. Check if the printer is showing some other errors on the LCD screen, such as “ink toner empty” or “paper jam,” etc.
If your devices are connected to a USB cable, check if it’s properly connected. If you are using an Ethernet cable, check if it’s well connected to both devices. For wireless connections, ensure both the printer and computer are on the same Wi-Fi network. Plus, you can print a network configuration page and verify the IP address.
You should set your Brother printer as the default device to function normally. If it’s not set as the default printer, it may show errors like the offline message. You can check this feature on Windows and Mac computers using the steps below.
Tap the Windows key and look for “Control Panel” in the search box.
Select Hardware and Sound, and then select the Devices and Printers option.
Right-click on your Brother HL-L2370DW printer and select Set as the default option.
If you see a green check mark on your printer’s name, it is already selected as a default device. But if the green check mark is missing, you need to set it as one.
Head to the Apple menu and select the System Settings option.
Then, select the Printers & Scanners option.
Select the last printer used under the Default printer option.
It will automatically detect your printer as the default device.
That’s how you can set the Brother printer as the default device and fix the offline printer error. However, if this method doesn’t bring your printer to an online status, move on to the next steps.
It is possible that any faulty print job is interfering with the printer’s communication with the computer. Therefore, you can delete those print jobs to fix the offline printer error using these steps.
Open the Start menu and type “Settings” in the search field.
Select Bluetooth & Devices under Settings, and then select Printers & Scanners.
Choose your printer, and select the Open Print Queue option.
Click the Printers option, and select Cancel All Documents.
After cancelling all the print jobs from the print queue, you’re all set to start printing again with the printer.
Outdated drivers can interfere with the printer’s performance and cause it to go offline. Update these drivers to fix the offline printer error using the following steps:
Hit the Windows key and enter “Device Manager” in the search bar.
Select the Printers or Print Queues option under the Device Manager.
Right-click on your Brother HL-L2370DW printer and choose the Update driver option.
Select the “Search automatically for updated printer drivers” option.
The computer will automatically search and install the latest printer drivers for the printer.
I’ve explained my five best methods. Try each method step by step to bring your Brother printer back online.
Question
To bring your printer back online, try the troubleshooting steps listed below.
● Check the connection between the computer and your printer.
● Update the Brother printer drivers.
● Cancel all the pending print jobs from the print queue.
● Set the printer as the default device.
Question
Several factors may contribute to making your printer go offline:
● The printer is not connected to the power supply or the device.
● Out-of-date printer drivers.
● You didn’t set the printer as the default device.
● Any faulty print job.
Question
Follow these steps to prevent your printer from going offline in the future.
● Make sure that you connect your printer properly to the power supply and the computer.
● Confirm that you set the printer as the default on the computer.
● Make sure you install the latest drivers for your printer model on your computer.
● Always confirm that the printer and computer are on the same network.
Source: How to Fix Brother Printer Offline Error